4 hours ago
Gotham FC and Spain Star Esther González Welcomes First Child With Wife Estefanía
READ TIME: 5 MIN.
Spain striker and NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Esther González has become a parent for the first time, welcoming a baby with her wife, Estefanía.
The news was first highlighted in a Gotham FC news roundup noting that “Esther González is a mom” and that the couple had recently welcomed their first child.
Coverage in LGBTQ+ outlet The Advocate centered on the couple’s family milestone, reporting that González and her wife had celebrated the birth of their baby and that fans shared congratulatory messages across social media.
Reports indicate that González and Estefanía have not publicly shared their child’s name at this time, opting to keep some family details private while still acknowledging the birth. (Although some outlets now name the child "Eva")
Esther González, who plays as a forward, joined NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League after a high‑profile international career with Spain’s women’s national team.
She was part of the Spain squad that won the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, adding a world title to an already successful club career in Europe before moving to the United States.
Gotham FC secured its first NWSL championship in the 2023 season, with González contributing as part of a star‑studded roster that included several international and U. S. national team players.
Local coverage connected the birth to a period of continued success for González, describing it as capping off “a fantastic last couple of months” following Gotham’s title‑winning campaign.
The couple’s family news has drawn warm responses from Gotham FC supporters, many of whom have celebrated González and Estefanía on platforms such as Instagram and X, formerly Twitter.
Although Gotham FC has not issued a formal press release specifically about the birth, the club has a documented history of publicly supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion and celebrating Pride events in collaboration with local community organizations.
Women’s professional football, particularly the NWSL and top European leagues, has been recognized for a relatively high level of LGBTQ+ visibility compared with many other sports, with out players and same‑gender couples regularly represented on and off the pitch.
González and Estefanía’s growing family now joins a visible cohort of queer parents in the global women’s game, alongside players such as Swedish star Nilla Fischer and several NWSL athletes who have publicly shared their own parenting journeys.
LGBTQ+ advocates note that public figures choosing to share their family milestones can help normalize queer parenting, offering representation for fans who may be navigating their own paths to building families.
In global football, visibility for same‑gender couples and LGBTQ+ families exists alongside ongoing challenges, including discriminatory policies in some countries and pressure on athletes who come from less accepting environments.
Within this context, González’s decision to live openly with her wife and to share news of their child is being read by many fans as both a personal celebration and a meaningful moment of representation at the elite level of the sport.
As Gotham FC begins preparations for its upcoming campaigns, the club and its supporters now do so with at least one new, very young fan in the stands or watching from home: the couple’s baby, whose arrival has been greeted with excitement across both the football and LGBTQ+ communities.
